The solar airplane which made the trip to Brussels on May 13 using the sun as its only energy source is being exposed in the European Capital until May 26. On Wednesday the Solar Impulse team led by Bertrand Piccard and André Borschberg played host to Jo Leinen (S&D, Germany), President of the Environment Committee of the European Parliament. Solar Impulse co-founders Bertrand Piccard and André Borschberg’s first aim is to demonstrate the enormous potential of new technologies for saving energy and applying renewable forms of energy. Available video includes general views and soundbites.

Secretary of Energy Steven Chu, General Services Administrator Martha Johnson, and White House Council on Environmental Quality Chair Nancy Sutley announced a major step in moving the Federal fleet further towards advanced vehicles and decreased petroleum consumption, while also cutting costs associated with fuel consumption. Furthering the Administration’s goals to cut oil imports by one-third by 2025 and to put one million advanced vehicles on the road by 2015, President Obama issued a Presidential Memorandum today directing agencies to implement government wide fleet management practices that will ensure the Federal Government is leading by example in fuel efficiency and innovative technology. Implementation of these new requirements will move the government to purchasing 100 percent alternative fuel vehicles by 2015 and drive agencies to meet the required 30 percent decrease in petroleum consumption by 2020 under Executive Order 13514 on Federal Leadership in Environmental, Energy, and Economic Performance signed by President Obama in October 2009.
In conjunction with the Memorandum, the General Services Administration (GSA) today launched a pilot project to incorporate electric vehicles and technologies into the Federal fleet. GSA announced its initial purchase of more than 100 electric vehicles for a vehicle pilot. These vehicles will be leased to 20 agencies, including the Department of Energy, and will be located in Washington, DC; Detroit, MI; Los Angeles, CA; San Diego, CA; and San Francisco, CA. As manager of Federal fleets and buildings, GSA will also coordinate with these agencies to establish necessary infrastructure for fueling and recharging at Federal building locations receiving the first round of vehicles.

First Fuel Cell to Power Residential Building in New York

The Octagon, a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design® (LEED)Silver 500-unit apartment community on Roosevelt Island, made green history by becoming the first residential building in the State of New York to be powered and heated by a 400 kilowatt (kW) fuel cell from UTC Power. This installation marks a paradigm shift in the State’s use of clean energy technologies, made possible through New York’s progressive stance on energy policy. The project was supported by $1.2 million in financial incentives from the New York StateEnergy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA). The fuel cell arrived on Roosevelt Island this winter and is now operating at full capacity. The fuel cell, a PureCell® System Model 400, is a combined heat and power (CHP) system that represents a game-changing technology. It converts natural gas to electricity and heat through a combustion-free, electrochemical process to provide power and heat to meet the majority of the apartment building’s energy demand. The energy efficiency achieved by the fuel cell is significantly higher than the energy received from the grid and emissions are negligible. Additionally, the fuel cell’s process heat is captured to satisfy the building’s space heating and domestic water requirements.